High-rise versatile mobile home structure

ABSTRACT

The High-rise Versatile Mobile Home Structure comprises two main components: the high-rise structure consisting of a series of compartments on each level in its two wings used for parking the versatile mobile homes and the mobile home elevator used to raise or lower the sections of the versatile mobile home when they are being hauled into or from the compartments. The high-rise structure is only a skeleton framework without solid walls and floors. The mobile home elevator consists of an elevator tower and an elevator carrier. The tower which carries a hoisting machine at the top and is equipped with four rollers at the bottom can be moved forth and back on the two rails. The threelevel carrier which is lifted and lowered by the hoisting machine also has no solid floors. When a section of the versatile mobile home is hauled into the carrier, it is supported by two travelling beams with castors fixed at their two ends. Each section together with the travelling beams is pulled either into or from a compartment by means of an electric motor and a winch. Along both sides of the elevator-well there are walkways leading to a hall tower with a staircase and a passenger elevator inside located in front of the structure. This hall tower has solid floor, walls and roof.

United States Patent 1 Lau [4 1 July 10, 1973 1 HIGH-RISE VERSATILE MOBILE HOME STRUCTURE [76] Inventor: Dicksen T. W. Lau, 450 17th Avenue,

San Francisco, Calif. 94121 [22] Filed: Mar. 9, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 233,022

[52] US. Cl 52/30, 52/67, 52/79,

[51] Int. Cl. E04h 6/06, B66b 9/00 [58] Field of Search 2l4/l6.l C, 16.1 CC,

2l4/l6.l CE, 16.4 A; 52/122, 30

Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner-R. B. Johnson [57] ABSTRACT The High-rise Versatile Mobile Home Structure comprises two main components: the high-rise structure consisting of a series of compartments on each level in its two wings used for parking the versatile mobile homes and the mobile home elevator used to raise or lower the sections of the versatile mobile home when they are being hauled into or from the compartments. The high-rise structure is only a skeleton framework without solid walls and floors. The mobile home elevator consists of an elevator tower and an elevator carrier. The tower which carries a hoisting machine at the top and is equipped with four rollers at the bottom can be moved forth and back on the two rails. The threelevel carrier which is lifted and lowered by the hoisting machine also has no solid floors. When a section of the versatile mobile home is hauled into the carrier, it is supported by two travelling beams with castors fixed at their two ends. Each section together with the travelling beams is pulled either into or from a compartment by means of an electric motor and a winch. Along both sides of the elevator-well there are walkways leading to a hall tower with a staircase and a passenger elevator inside located in front of the structure. This hall tower has solid floor, walls and roof.

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HIGH-RISE VERSATILE MOBILE HOME STRUCTURE This invention relates to the new methods of planning, constructing and operating high-rise structure for the versatile mobile homes. Because the main purpose of this invention is to develop a new means for housing I have gone by. In order to have low cash outlay and easy maintenance, people now incline to live in apartments and mobile homes, especially the latter. Because the mobile homes are mostly confined to the suburbia and exurbia, there are two main disadvantages of living in them. Their residents usually have to commute a long distance to work and are far from the cultural facilities in the cities. This invention will do away with these disadvantages.

A further important object of this invention is to provide the people in the cities with low-cost, factory-built versatile dwellings. The government has advocated low-cost, factory-built modules as dwelling units for many housing projects in the cities. But these factorybuilt modules are rigid both in size and construction. After installation these modules can not be expanded, contracted nor moved around. In a high-rise versatile mobile home structure, the mobile homes can be expanded as the families grow larger and larger. They also can be contracted as the families shrink smaller and smaller. Meanwhile they can be moved around from place to place at any time. They can be built into very luxurious homes as well as very modest dwellings. Therefore they are not only good for the rich but also good for the poor. They can fit people of all age groups and every walk of life.

A still further object of this invention is to lessen the mental strains to those people who commute from the suburbs to work in the cities. It also decreases their needless money outlays and reduces the pollution in the atmosphere. If the present exodus from the cities to the suburbs is stopped or reversed, then less people will commute between their homes in the suburbs and their work in the cities. This means that these people will avoid the time-consuming, nerve-wrecking and accident-prone drives, especially in the rainy and foggy days, during the rush hours in the morning and afternoon of every working day. They will also save themselves the expenses of continuous automobile depreciation and gasoline consumption. Because of less ejection from the automobiles, the pollution in the atmosphere will finally be reduced.

A still further object of this invention is to develop a structure for the'versatile mobile homes which is economical and versatile by itself. The structure is economical because it consists mainly of a skeleton steel frame. Besides the housing for the staircase and passenger elevator, it does not have permanent solid floors, walls and roofs which usually are very costly. It is a versatile structure because it can be converted into apartment building, office building or hotel by replacing the temporary roof, the grilles and the travelling beams with permanent roof, solid walls and sturdy floors.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a shelter to protect the versatile mobile homes from severe weathers. Because the hot sun, violent gusts and heavy frosts will not hurt them any more, the useful life of of the versatile mobile homes will be prolonged and their re-sale values will be much increased.

This invention which comprises two main components: the high-rise versatile mobile home structure and its versatile mobile home elevator, will be understood more fully from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is the horizontal plan of a high-rise versatile mobile home structure.

FIG. 2 is the front elevation of the high-rise versatile mobile home structure shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is the rear elevation of the high-rise versatile mobile home structure shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 illustrates the detailed construction of the vertical columns, transverse girders, spandrel beams and travelling beams in the high-rise versatile mobile home structure as indicated at I I in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 shows the sectional view as indicated at I] II in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 shows the side view of the versatile mobile home elevator.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the three-level versatile mobile home elevator carrier.

The layout shown in FIG. 1 is a typical intermediate plan of the high-rise versatile mobile home structure which consists of eight compartments 01. The structure can be expanded horizontally to any size as the building site permits by simply adding compartments to each side of the versatile mobile home elevator well 02. At the left side of the elevator well, the first compartment is occupied by a five-section versatile mobile home 03 and the other three compartments are vacant. At the right side of the elevator well, the four compartments are partially occupied. The absence of solid floors to support the heavy versatile mobile home not only lowers the construction costs of the structure but also gives it versatility. Each section of the versatile mobile home is directly supported by two travelling beams 04. The two lightweight metal floorings 05, one in front and one at the rear of each section of the versatile mobile home are held in place by the short bolts 06 to the travelling beams. The metal flooring in the front is wider than the one at the rear so the residents can walk more freely in front of their dwellings. The two sides of the metal floorings along the length of the versatile mobile home are bent up high enough so anything on the flooring will not fall into the space under the versatile mobile home.

As shown in the three vacant compartments in FIG. I, the framework of the structure consists of rows of vertical columns 07 extending from the foundation to the roof of the structure. To the flanges of these columns are welded or bolted the transverse girders 08 each of which is made up of a steel channel 09 with a steel angle 10 welded to its upper flange. The transverse girders support the travelling beams and a fivesection versatile mobile home needs ten travelling beams, two for each section. In the vacant compartments in FIG. 1 the ten travelling beams are shown at equal spacings, but in an occupied compartment the ten travelling beams are located at the ends of the sections. Along the periphery of the structure, the vertical columns 07 are connected to one another by sprandrel beams 11. The steel beams 12 are used to support the walkways 13 on both sides of the elevator well. The walkways which connected the compartments to the front hall 14 may be made of steel plates, reinforced or prestressed concrete slabs. If they are made of reinforced or prestressed concrete slabs,then grooves 15 aligned with the steel angles of the transverse girders 08 will be made on the slabs. Railings 16 are installed along the outer edges of the walkways to guard the residents from falling into the elevator well. The railings are movable so they can be removed when the sections of the versatile mobile homes are hauled into or from the compartments. Entrance doors 17 are installed at the entrances of the walkways to the front hall. Inside the front hall, there are a passenger elevator 18, a lobby l9 and a staircase 20. If the high-rise versatile mobile home structure comprises many compartments and extends pretty long, it should be built with two fronts. Another front hall 14 with passenger elevator, lobby and staircase facilities should be built at the other end of the elevator well.

A set of three utility ducts 21 is installed alternately between the compartments so each set can serve two adjacent versatile mobile homes simultaneously. For instance, electricity cables, telephone lines and T.V. antenna cords may be inclosed in one duct, gas and water pipes may be inclosed in another and the third duct may be provided solely for sewage disposal.

In FIGS. 2 and 3 only the front hall is covered by a permanent roof 22 and enclosed by solid walls 23. The rest of the structure is covered by light roofing 24 and surrounded with grilles. The front hall is higher than the other part of the structure because it provides housing for the hoisting machinery of the passenger elevator. Because there is no solid floor in the structure, the term level is used instead of story. The grilles are made of either aluminum, copper, steel or concrete. Their heights vary from structure to structure. High grilles 25 extend from one level to the next level of the structure. Low grilles 26 only go up to a certain height above each level. All the grilles on the upper levels are permanently fixed. But those on the ground level can be removed when the sections of a versatile mobile home are being hauled into or from a compartment through the front. The grilles should be aesthetically designed so the structure will not impair the surroundings. It should look like just another high-rise building in the vicinity. Windows 27 are only provided on the outside wall of the front hall with gratings 28 to protect the residents from falling down to the street below when the glass is broken. No window is allowed on the wall facing the elevator well. The main entrance 29 must have sufficient height and width so the sections of the versatile mobile homes can be hauled into and from the elevator well through it without any difficulty.

Doorways 30 are provided for the means of egress and ingress for the residents. If there is another front hall at the other end of the elevator well, then the view shown in FIG. 3 will be exactly the same as that shown in FIG. 2.

The steel angles 10 welded to the steel channels 09 form two tracks on the transverse girders for the small wheels 31 of the travelling beams 04 to run back and forth when the sections ofa versatile mobile home are hauled into or from a compartment as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. At the center of the spandrel beam in each compartment is installed a haul-in pulley 32. The wire rope 33 has one end attached to the bracket 34 and the other end attached to the winch drum 35 run by an electric motor 36. By passing this wire rope 33 over the haul-in pulley in a compartment, the sections of a versatile mobile home can be hauled into that compartment. The chassis of each section of a versatile mobile home has two inner girders 39 and two outer girders 40. The two outer girders rest directly upon the two travelling beams and they are connected together by means of gusset plates 37 and connecting bolts 38. The bracket 34 is bolted to the outside face of one of the outer girders 40. To which outer girder the bracket will be bolted depends on which direction the sections of the versatile mobile home will be hauled.

The end view of the versatile mobile home elevator tower is seen in FIG. 3 and its side view is shown in FIG.

6. The tower has four vertical steel posts 42 at the four corners firmly set upon a heavy base plate 43. On each level of the tower there are horizontal steel struts 44 across the two sides and the two ends but the crossbracings 45 are only installed at the two ends. The clearance between the horizontal struts on the tower must be the same as that between the levels of the structure. Inside the tower 41 there is a three-level versatile mobile home elevator carrier 46. The term carrier is used because of its absence of walls and floors. The carrier 46 is raised and lowered by a hoisting machine 47 mounted on the heavy base plate 43 by means of a hoisting cable 48 passing over a sheare 49 and a supporting pulley 50 on top of the tower. The two steel chains or steel ropes 51 which pass over the two gliding pulleys 52 fixed at the two sides on top of the tower are attached to the counterweight 53 at one end and the top of the carrier 46 at the other end. Flanged wheels 54 are mounted under the heavy base plate so the tower can be pushed back and forth along the rails 55 to any position inside the elevator well.

The elevator carrier 46 consists of four steel corner posts 56 two longitudinal beams 57, two interior transverse beams 58 and two exterior transverse beams 59 on each level. The two exterior transverse beams 59 on the middle and bottom levels of the carrier 46 are built in the same way as the transverse girders 08 in the structure with steel angles welded on top of the channels. By means of this construction, the small wheels 31 of the travelling beams 04 will run on continuous tracks without obstruction when a section of the versatile mobile home is pulled from a compartment into the'carrier, and vice versa. Between the two interior transverse beams 58 on the top level of the elevator carrier there is a cross-beam 60 to which the hoisting cable 48 is anchored. Beside the cross-beam is mounted a steel plate 61 on which the winch drum 35 and electric motor 36 are installed. There are six direction pulleys 62 on the elevator carrier, each is fixed at the center of a longitudinal beam 57. At the corners of the top and bottom levels of the elevator carrier, there are rollers 63 which roll along the vertical steel posts 42 when the carrier is raised and lowered.

The process of hauling the versatile mobile home into and from a compartment is simple. Supposing a fivesection versatile mobile home comprising Sections A, B, C, D, and E is to be hauled into the first compartment on the fifth level on the left side of the elevator well in FIG. 1. First push the elevator tower 41 along the rails 55 until it is in front of the first compartment. Then lower the elevator carrier 46 to the ground and haul the Section E of the five-section versatile mobile home into its bottom level. After this, the elevator carrier is lifted up until its bottom level is even with the fifth level of the structure. The wire rope 33 first passes over the two direction pulleys 62 fixed at the centers of the longitudinal beams 57 at the top and bottom levels on the right-hand side of the elevator carrier 46, then goes under'the Section E and passes over the haul-in pulley 32 fixed at the center of the spandrel beam 11 in that compartment and finally is connected to the bracket 34 attached to the outer girder 40 on the lefthand side of the chassis of Section E. When the electric motor 36 is started, it will turn the winch drum 35 and pull Section E together with the two travelling beams 04 toward the end of the first compartment. After Section E is in place, the elevator carrier is lowered to the ground for Section D which will be hauled into that compartment in the same way. The same method will be applied to Sections C, B and A in that order until all the five sections are inside the first compartment. If the versatile mobile home will be hauled into one of the compartments on the right side of the elevator well, then the two direction pulleys 62 to be used for wire rope 33 should be fixed on th top and bottom levels on the left-hand side of the elevator carrier.

If the five-section versatile mobile home is going to be hauled from the first compartment on the fifth level at the left side of the elevator well, then the process is just reversed. First the elevator carrier is raised until its bottom level is even with the fifth level of the structure. Then the wire rope 33 passes over only the two direction pulleys 62 fixed at the centers of the longitudinal beams 57 on the top and bottom levels on the righthand side of the elevator carrier 46 and is connected to the bracket 34 which is attached to the outer girder 40 at the right-hand side of the chassis of the Section A. When the electric motor 36 is started and turns the winch drum 35, Section A will be pulled into the bottom level of the elevator carrier 46 and then lowered to the ground. After the travelling beams 04 have been disconnected, Section A can be hauled away from the elevator well. The same procedures will be applied to Sections B, C, D and E in that order until all the sections have been hauled away. If the versatile mobile home is in a compartment on the right side of the elevator well, then the direction pulleys 62 fixed on the lefthand side of the elevator carrier must be used.

If only Section B of the five-section versatile mobile home is hauled from a compartment located on the fifth level at the right side of the elevator well, then the procedure will be as follows: First the empty elevator carrier is lifted until its middle level is even with the fifth level of the structure. Then the wire rope 33 is passed over the two direction pulleys 62 fixed at the centers of the longitudinal beams on the top and middle levels on the left-hand side of the elevator carrier 46 and connected to the bracket 34 which is attached to the outer girder 40 at the left-hand side of the chassis of the Section A. After Section A has been pulled into the middle level of the elevator carrier by the motor and winch, the elevator carrier is again raised until its bottom level is even with the fifth level of the structure. By the same process as described above, Section B is hauled into the bottom level of the elevator carrier.

Then the elevator carrier is lowered until its middle level is even with the fifth level of the structure. At this time Section A is pulled back to the original compartment from the middle level of the elevator carrier and joined to the other sections in that compartment. After Section A has been pulled off from the middle level of the elevator carrier, Section B in the bottom level of the elevator carrier is lowered to the ground and disconnected from the two supporting travelling beams. By this time Section B is ready to be hauled away on a vacation trip.

What I claim as new is:

l. A high-rise structure comprising a series of compartments for the parking of versatile mobile homes; the said compartments absent of solid floors and walls located on both sides of an elevator well where a set of rails are provided for the versatile mobile home elevator tower to travel back and forth; a plurality of vertical steel columns arranged in rows between said compartments to support a plurality of transverse girders made up of steel angles and channels which in turn supporting the travelling beams connected to the outer girders in the chassis of each section of the versatile mobile home by means of gusset plates and connecting bolts; a plurality of light-weight metal flooring bent at both sides and held in place by short bolts to the said travelling beams in the front and at the back of the versatile mobile home; a plurality of aesthetically designed grilles around the periphery of said structure; two walkways on both sides of the elevator well connecting the said compartments to a front hall having solid floors and walls and permanent roof to house a staircase, a lobby and a passenger elevator for the residents living in the versatile mobile homes in the structure.

2. In the high-rise structure as described in claim 1, a versatile mobile home elevator consisting of an elevator tower made of four vertical steel posts firmly set upon a heavy base plate, four horizontal steel struts across the two sides and the two ends and two crossbracings at the two ends on each level of said elevator tower, two sets of wheels installed under said heavy base plate which can roll back and forth on the rails in the elevator well; a three-level elevator carrier made of four steel corner posts two steel longitudinal beams and four, two exterior and two interior, transverse beams on each level of said carrier; a hoisting means with its machine installed on the heavy base plate and its cable passing over a sheave and a supporting pulley on top of said tower and anchored to the cross-beam between two interior transverse beams on the top level of said carrier; two steel chains or ropes passing over four gliding pulleys fixed at the top of said tower and connected to a counterweight at one end and the top of said carrier at the other end; a hauling means with its electric motor and winch installed upon a steel plate mounted between the two interior transverse beams on the top level of said carrier and its wire rope used for hauling passing over two of the six direction pulleys fixed at either side on any two levels of said carrier and maybe a haul-in pulley attached to aspandrel beam in each compartment; a plurality of rollers installed at corners on the top and bottom levels of said carrier to give it a smooth ride up and down along the four vertical steel posts of said tower when said carrier is raised and lowered. I

3. In the high-rise structure as described in claim 1, the transverse girders of the structure and the exterior transverse beams on the middle and bottom levels of the elevator carrier all having steel angles welded to steel channels in which the steel angles form continuous tracks for the small wheels installed at the ends of the travelling beams to travel back and forth without disruption which will increase the mobility of the mobile homes and the efficiency of operation.

4. In the high-rise structure as described by claim 1, the usage of a plurality of travelling beams to support the sections of the versatile mobile homes without the construction of heavy floors which will save the building costs.

5. In the high-rise structure as described by claim 1, the hauling means used to haul the sections of the versatile mobile homes into the compartments from the elevator carrier, and vice versa, consisting of six direction pulleys installed on different levels on both sides of said carrier and the haul-in pulleys attached to the spandrel beams in said compartments, an electric motor and winch installed on the top level of said carrier; the method of manipulating the wire rope used to haul the sections of the versatile mobile homes into and from the said compartments on either side of the elevator well.

6. In the versatile mobile home elevator as described by claim 2, the elevator carrier comprising three levels without walls and floors in which the top level used for the installation of the hauling means and the middle and bottom levels used for moving the sections of the versatile mobile homes into and out of the compartments with the provision of a middle level to save the work and time of shuffling when the section next to the outmost section is to be hauled out.

7. In the high-rise structure as described by claim 1, the layout of said structure capable to be expanded by simply adding compartments to both sides of the elevator well when the situation requires.

8. In the high-rise structure as described by claim 1, the absence of solid walls and floors and permanent roof in construction not only lowering the building costs of said structure but also increasing its versatility because ofits capacity to be converted into other buildings such as apartments, offices and hotels. 

1. A high-rise structure comprising a series of compartments for the parking of versatile mobile homes; the said compartments absent of solid floors and walls located on both sides of an elevator well where a set of rails are provided for the versatile mobile home elevator tower to travel back and forth; a plurality of vertical steel columns arranged in rows between said compartments to support a plurality of transverse girders made up of steel angles and channels which in turn supporting the travelling beams connected to the outer girders in the chassis of each section of the versatile mobile home by means of gusset plates and connecting bolts; a plurality of light-weight metal flooring bent at both sides and held in place by short bolts to the said travelling beams in the front and at the back of the versatile mobile home; a plurality of aesthetically designed grilles around the periphery of said structure; two walkways on both sides of the elevator well connecting the said compartments to a front hall having solid floors and walls and permanent roof to house a staircase, a lobby and a passenger elevator for the residents living in the versatile mobile homes in the structure.
 2. In the high-rise structure as described in claim 1, a versatile mobile home elevator consisting of an elevator tower made of four vertical steel posts firmly set upon a heavy base plate, four horizontal steel struts across the two sides and the two ends and two cross-bracings at the two ends on each level of said elevator tower, two sets of wheels installed under said heavy base plate which can roll back and forth on the rails in the elevator well; a three-level elevator carrier made of four steel corner posts , two steel longitudinal beams and four, two exterior and two interior, transverse beams on each level of said carrier; a hoisting means with its machine installed on the heavy base plate and its cable passing over a sheave and a supporting pulley on top of said tower and anchored to the cross-beam between two interior transverse beams on the top level of said carrier; two steel chains or ropes passing over four gliding pulleys fixed at the top of said tower and connected to a counterweight at one end and the top of said carrier at the other end; a hauling means with its electric motor and winch installed upon a steel plate mounted between the two interior transverse beams on the top level of said carrier and its wire rope used for hauling passing over two of the six direction pulleys fixed at either side on any two levels of said carrier and maybe a haul-in pulley attached to a spandrel beam in each compartment; a plurality of rollers installed at corners on the top and bottom levels of said carrier to give it a smooth ride up and down along the four vertical steel posts of said tower when said carrier is raised and lowered.
 3. In the high-rise structure as described in claim 1, the transverse girders of the structure and the exterior transverse beams on the middle and bottom levels of the elevator carrier all having steel angles welded to steel channels in which the steel angles form continuous tracks for the small wheels installed at the ends of the travelling beams to travel back and forth without disruption which will increase the mobility of the mobile homes and the efficiency of operation.
 4. In the high-rise structure as described by claim 1, the usage of a plurality of travelling beams to support the sections of the versatile mobile homes without the construction of heavy floors which will save the building costs.
 5. In the high-rise structure as described by claim 1, the hauling means used to haul the secTions of the versatile mobile homes into the compartments from the elevator carrier, and vice versa, consisting of six direction pulleys installed on different levels on both sides of said carrier and the haul-in pulleys attached to the spandrel beams in said compartments, an electric motor and winch installed on the top level of said carrier; the method of manipulating the wire rope used to haul the sections of the versatile mobile homes into and from the said compartments on either side of the elevator well.
 6. In the versatile mobile home elevator as described by claim 2, the elevator carrier comprising three levels without walls and floors in which the top level used for the installation of the hauling means and the middle and bottom levels used for moving the sections of the versatile mobile homes into and out of the compartments with the provision of a middle level to save the work and time of shuffling when the section next to the outmost section is to be hauled out.
 7. In the high-rise structure as described by claim 1, the layout of said structure capable to be expanded by simply adding compartments to both sides of the elevator well when the situation requires.
 8. In the high-rise structure as described by claim 1, the absence of solid walls and floors and permanent roof in construction not only lowering the building costs of said structure but also increasing its versatility because of its capacity to be converted into other buildings such as apartments, offices and hotels. 